With the beauty industry being a $300 billion dollar industry, it’s easy to assume that good quality beauty products are expensive.

The average women between the age of 16 and 65 shops for cosmetics five times per year.

And on average (and yes, sometimes more), those women spend $15,000 on cosmetics in their lifetime.

Although saving money and going natural with beauty products seems a little “pie in the sky,” we also need to realize we’re sometimes a result of this multi-billion dollar empire’s genius marketing tactics.

Truth be told: there are a ton of ways to look and feel more beautiful without spending our life savings.

Here are just five:

Coconut oil (obviously).

There is no way this list would be complete without this sweet, sweet oil.

If you type this arguably magical oil into your search bar, my claim will be supported by millions of blogs, worldwide. Here are just a few 15 of my favorite reasons to use it:

1. It’s a basic lotion
2. It’s great for baking, stir-frys and even as a dairy-free alternative to butter. It’s great for cooking because it has a high smoke point.
3. It’s an eye makeup remover
4. It helps to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
5. It’s a great shaving cream
6. It’s a naturally SPF 4 sunscreen
7. It’s a delicious tropical massage oil
8. Due to its high lauric acid and MCFA content, it’s a great metabolism-booster
9. If you rub a tiny dab on your hands and then your hair, it’s a great frizz-reducing hair serum
10. It’s a great natural lip balm
11. As an incredibly intensive natural conditioner- Rub into dry hair, put a shower cap on and leave for several hours (wake up to silky soft hair, just rinse out!)
12. It can reduce the itch of mosquito bites
13. For some people, it can help to reduce acne
14. It’s great to stimulate hair growth when rubbed into the scalp, daily. It’s also a great deep conditioner — just apply it before bed, put a shower cap on and rinse out in the morning
15. Add to smoothies to give them a nutritional and flavor boost

 

Raw Honey

And not just because it’s delicious in tea. Raw honey is extremely anti-bacterial and ultra moisturizing. Try it as a simple facemask one per week.

Warm it between your fingers, and then softly apply it to your entire face. Leave it on for five to ten minutes, and then rinse with warm water. Voila — sweet, soft, glowing skin.

Put your Bioré face strips down, and pick up raw honey for natural blackhead removal. Put a few drops onto a lemon wedge and rub it all over your face, emphasizing trouble spots. Leave the mixture on your skin for about five minutes, then rinse with cold water.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Skip your regular shampoo and instead mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with a cup of water to eliminate chemicals and product build-up. Follow with your usual conditioner.

Green Tea

What does it do?: What doesn’t it do? It flushes out toxins from the skin and helps majorly to promote radiant, smooth, acne-free skin. Not only is it a natural fat burner, but it’s also a natural diuretic which helps to eliminate excess water weight and bloating.

How it does it: Green tea contains catechins — anti-bacterial agents that suppress acne-causing bacteria and help to regulate hormonal imbalances. It also possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness in blemishes and scars.

Combat dark under eye circles with this super effective home remedy:

How to: Chill a cup of green tea in the refrigerator. Dip 2 cotton pads in the cool tea and place them on your closed eyelids. Sit back and relax for 10-15 minutes. As an alternative, you can swap the cotton balls for chilled, used tea bags.

For more green tea uses (because like coconut oil, the list goes on. And on and on), click here.

5.) But remember, although awesome and convenient, these all-natural beauty tips are nothing without proper self-care like sleep, physical activity, plenty of water, stress management, and a nutritious diet.

Happy cosmetic grocery shopping!

Tannis